Former English Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has spoken out about being accused by Chelsea of racially abusing John Obi Mikel and Juan Mata back in 2012 – and claimed the former was “swinging for him” while shouting “I’ll break your legs”.
Clattenburg missed the Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge, where the incident took place. Chelsea lost 3-2 to Manchester United after Javier Hernandez scored a goal in the 75th minute.
After Roberto Di Matteo’s side were reduced to nine men in the space of a few minutes with Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres departing the field, fans were out for blood especially after the Red Devils took the lead.
What ensued was an alleged attack from Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, who was reported to have burst into the official’s dressing room before attempting to strike the referee repeatedly.
The 46-year-old has now detailed the altercation and the events that followed the game at Stamford Bridge in his autobiography and claims the racism accusations ‘almost ruined his life.’
(Image: EMPICS Sport)
In the autobiography titled ‘Whistle Blower,’ he elaborates on his version of events that were splashed across global news front pages for weeks.
“I knew to expect a tirade of abuse from Chelsea supporters, but I was not beating myself up over my performance. It was then that I heard a commotion outside the dressing-room door,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.
“Before I get to the door it swings open, and with some force. John Obi Mikel comes in, and I can see his anger. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo is holding him back, as well as coach Eddie Newton. Mikel is out of control; he’s trying to get at me. ‘I’m gonna break your legs!’ he shouts. He’s swinging for me.
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“I have to be clear here – and this is extremely important – at this point there had been no mention of racism to me, either from Mikel or Di Matteo. No one had made any accusation of that nature.
“I left Stamford Bridge in the people-carrier and as we made our way out of West London towards Heathrow, there’s a social-media notification on the screen of my phone saying: ‘BREAKING NEWS: CHELSEA ACCUSE REFEREE MARK CLATTENBURG OF RACIST COMMENTS’.
“During those early hours overnight on the Sunday of the game, I realised the power of football clubs, the hold they have over the media. It was terrifying. It was the European champions against a referee – who would you believe?
“I am trapped. This could ruin my career. It could ruin my life. The fear is worse than going to prison. I am being called a racist. That is a real life-sentence, you don’t come back from that. Guilty until proven innocent, that is the English way.”
(Image: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Clattenburg was widely considered as one of the best English referees in a generation and was blowing whistles at the highest level for 13 years in the Premier League and abroad.
The Consett-born official was also involved in 297 Premier League fixtures. He also served as the referee for numerous high-profile international events, including the Euro 2016 final at the Stade de France, and the 2016 Champions League final, both at the San Siro stadium.
Clattenburg eventually retired from professional officiating in 2017 citing mental health issues which he has outlined in his autobiography – claiming it is a common issue among topflight referees.
Oriol Romeu, Chelsea’s midfielder, admitted that Mata had not heard Clattenburg use racist language two days before the fixture at Stamford Bridge. The club subsequently withdrew the accusation against Romeu.
After Chelsea refused to drop their claims about Clattenburg’s racial remarks towards Mikel, the FA continued to investigate the official.
(Image: 2013 Manchester United FC)
The referee remained under intense scrutiny for 25 days and appeared before multiple panels to determine if his behaviour had been unacceptable during the game, but the charges were eventually dropped and Clattenburg was found not guilty.
Clattenburg found comfort in an unlikely place during a dark period in the media spotlight. Red Devils legend and manager Sir Alex Ferguson came out in support of the official, and denied any racist language used.
In his autobiography, Clattenburg said: “I began to slip into a dark place, struggling to sleep and obsessively going over the events. It was then that my unlikely friend came to my rescue.
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“I was such a wreck; I did not even say much back to him. [Sir Alex Ferguson] said: ‘I have spoken to my players, and they did not hear you say what Chelsea are alleging. We don’t believe you said it. I believe in fairness, so we will support you.’”
“Sir Alex did not have to make that call and he did not have to defend me in public, which he later did. I was later told Chelsea threatened to sue him for insinuating they were lying. But Sir Alex stuck to his guns, he thought it was nonsense.
“After being found innocent, I moved on in my career, I had to. So, when I walked out to referee the finals of the Champions League and European Championship in 2016, it felt like a ‘f*** you’ to all of those who tried to destroy me. They had failed.
“If I can take one positive, it is that the experience made me stronger.”